Episode-1038- Understanding the Coming Shifts in Society

Recently I have had to explain many times that TSP is not about “the end of the world” in the way prepping is portrayed in “Doomsday Preppers” and other such mass media things. I don’t mean on the air, I mean in real life and in some email exchanges. This is part of why I hate things like Doomsday Non Reality TV.

Thing is I don’t really care if someone thinks I am nuts. Hell my business partner Neil Franklin calls me “Crazy Jack”. The concern is that when prepping is presented as “extreme” to the masses it actually emboldens them to remain unprepared. They look at this stuff and think “those people are nuts” and the natural response to take the show to be nothing more then entertainment like Jersey Shore of the bimbo Kardahians.

The reality is along with things like natural disasters which we have all witnessed many suffer the consequences of not being prepared for, we have a bigger issue. The world is not going to end but it is shifting right now in many ways, today we are going to discuss that shift.

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51 Responses to Episode-1038- Understanding the Coming Shifts in Society

Great SHOW… Its been a while since we had a good old “get the troops in line” episode. I 100% see what your talking about when you say some people refuse to see whats right in front of their face. Too many of the “the government will fix it” types out there. They need to take their future in their own hands.

Steve S, the message of prepping will never reach the masses in totality. Many people are content on how they are living and/or don’t have the intestinal fortitude to make a change. They best we can do is be example to those who are around us in our communities, then maybe our example, our philosophy will affect them in a positive manner. It is only in a crisis will they change their minds and even then most of the time it temporary and back to business as normal.

Totalitarian Govt seems to be where this is heading. The uber rich are going to squeeze until there is no more juice. Building resiliency mentally will be very important when these tough times comes. Equally important is having skill sets that allows us the greatest chance to survive when it does happen. Thirdly, and sadly some people’s first choice, will be having stuff.

If individuals want to see what will happen then they need only crack open a history book. This kind of event has happened many times before, and it will happen again. Whats most disturbing is that alot of what is happening echos Rome circa 146 BC to 43 BC, specifically the efforts of the Gracchi brothers in 133BC.

For people who do not know who the Gracchi brothers were they were extremely populistic politicians that put forwarded socialist style policies. Specifically redistribution of land from the wealthy patricians to the plebian classes. They marked the beginning of militant populist movements within Roman politics, both brothers were murdered either by their opponents or the mob who had supported them, and it foreshadowed the events of Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar.

There are many similarities between America today and Rome of the late republic. We know how it ended for the Republica of Rome, and I fear that Republica of America might go down the same path.

Yeah, I didn’t know about the Gracchis, but about 30 years ago I saw the parallels between the two empires and have watched the decline. And in the book, The Fourth Turning, we see the rotations and repeats in our own history and can guess it’s time for a series of major events and upheavals. But the generation under twenty, they say, has the makeup of those in the past who were able to make the recovery needed. If the authors are correct, there is hope for the future.

You mentioned renters on section 8. I agree that the upcoming shift might bite them good and hard, but the converse that you left out is the alternative that I would predict happening somewhere if not in a number of places.

That is (very similar to “rent control”) the government could say that section 8 is gone, but also that landlords can’t charge more than the renter is currently paying nor make any attempt to evict for failure to pay more. In that case it would be the “wealthy landlord” getting the shaft (which option do you see as being politically expedient in states with a lot of section 8 going on?)

Problem is it doesn’t work that way, being a land lord DOES NOT equal wealthy.

I know people that rent Section 8 housing, they do okay but they sure as hell ain’t rich. These people all have a MORTGAGE against their properties. If what you suggest were to happen they can’t pay then they loose the property to the bank and the property is foreclosed on.

We have to get off this us and them shit at our own level. THERE IS NO US AND THEM on this level, the THEM is the banks, the mega corps and the top officials, everyone else is us including the guy that runs 20 rental properties.

I mean sure saying “tell the wealthy land lord to suck it” sounds great until you realize it won’t do any good because he isn’t wealthy and the true wealthy are in control and they sure are not going to tell themselves to suck it.

From 2008-2010 we bailed out the mortgage industry and the banks made out like bandits adn people were thrown out on their asses by the millions, don’t expect that to be different the next time around.

Just to be clear, that wasn’t an US vs THEM comment. It was a “this could cut both ways” comment. I know a lot of renters keep mortgages on rental units and I put “wealthy” in quotes to indicate that isn’t how I view them. I know too many people to have a BS bias like that.

I’m just predicting that something to that effect is likely enough I’d be shocked if it didn’t happen somewhere. Obviously it would create foreclosures, but so would yanking S8 funding by itself. I’m also not advocating it or suggesting it would be a good idea.

I guess the key takeaway is to the rentee, the income might go away one way or the other, and the asset might go away one way or the other as well.

Great show! Jack, can I get permission to burn this show to CD and pass it among friends and community. I plan on giving it and just saying, “You need to hear this. Listen to it while driving to work.”

Your last comments on today’s show where drowned out by the song fade, at least for my old ears. 🙂

Non commercial distribution of this show from short segments to entire episodes or even many episodes is not only acceptable, it is encouraged. If you want to create CDs or MP3s and hand them out for no charge, go nuts. This information is freely given with the understanding that you advise recipients to read this page of our website to ensure they are aware of our disclaimers.

Well, look at the vectors, add them up and adjust accordingly. Jack has one guy from Russia and another from Argentina that he references a lot regarding financial collapses. I lived in Brazil for a couple years with a rather unique perspective of being able to mingle with people ranging from the wealthy to the far below poverty types. The story is different but the same. Cash was king during inflationary spikes yet it lost all value in the process. A business as simple as a 10×10 store front separated those that stayed in or dropped below the middle class (depending on your point of view) and those who were in the upper middle to upper class. Those that simply had tangible assets aside from cash flow and reserves also seemed to do reasonably well. The poor took it strait in the face, and the cash under the mattress types did fine at first but ended up with nothing at the end. That is the far oversimplified version, but it is something I think about often.

I saw that when I was living in Vietnam during the Vietnam war. The rich and the resourceful left the country. Those who believe in the commie and their theories stayed. Some were middle class, and educated.

Those who have skills such as growing food, making clothes, fixing things, create medicine…etc would later do quite well. They have to do that via the black market or cash under the table.

People, Jack is right. Learn some useful skills. They cannot take that away from you.

I’m going to just hope that Special Caller is being sarcastic… If you read their comment with an inner voice-over of a sarcastic tone, it’s actually kind of funny – a nervous laugh, forced smile type of funny.

I know too many “middle-class” people that are completely oblivious to how fragile their safe little lives are. Putting this kind of nuclear warhead of information inside their fairly tale painted minds seems to make these types of people run around the room screaming that anyone making statements such as those in today’s show are pessimists or cynics.

Just because the message in today’s show is not packaged in flowers and unicorn farts doesn’t make this fate a null possibility (that being said, I do sincerely hope this isn’t a prophecy of what’s to come, but it probably is…)

I love the comments about the “Momma-Bear” mentality. So very true. Modern mass media and Hollywood has provided so many with delusional perceptions of their real ability to defend themselves, or their children. I especially love the movies that show some petite 5’2”- 105 lb. woman defeating a 6’2” – 225 lb. man with nothing other than some activation of a pressure point. Good luck with that…

Little gals do ocassionaly beat off a large attacker but if successful it is usually the result of grabbing a large heavy object and smashing the guys face in with it. Great when it happens but you can always bet on one being handy or noting instead being used on you, ladies get a gun.

Yes along with “Demographic Bomb” both of which I was thinking about during some of today’s show. Thing is I think they are both right and on some levels over playing the hand. Like I said same house different windows.

I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt a “Demographic Bomb” theory was out there. I, for one, looked past it since whatever remnants remain from its origins are long gone, but I can understand, and respect recognizing that the theory exists amongst some

I completely agree with the police state issue. I know there’s some wackos out there that you don’t want to be associated with (neither do I) but as you said, this shit is very real. The drones and all. And I know everyone here has seen the William Binney interviews and read about the facility in Utah. It’s all coming at an increasing rate of speed and right out in the open.

If anyone wants to learn about the role of stress in health and disease then I strongly recommend Robert Sapolsky’s work and his writing is superb.

Don’t get me wrong, but I am really beginning to see the value of have a International BOL. It is part of my exit stage left, or go back and regroup (temporarily) BOL. At any rate the talk of police state, drones, etc you have to have a Plan B or C or whatever and you need to know when the implement them i.e. timely will be everything.

In my circle, I see our provincial government cutting back on grooming ski trails, I see vehicle registration fees going up. I see people moving out to Alberta for work in the oil patch. The problem up here is that for many years Atlantic Canada was twenty five years ‘behind’ Central Canada. Then in 1997, a fixed link was built, at a cost of 1 billion dollars, linking Prince Edward Island to the mainland. Then came the big box stores, then the ‘cosmopolitan’ lifestyle to a relatively rural province. Islanders have lost their self sufficiency; we are trying to become like “Central Canada”, at a time when that model does not work. I’m afraid we can’t turn back here. We have become reliant on trucking to bring everything across that bridge, including ‘Starfruit’, ‘Ugli Fruit’ and all the trappings of modern society. But the cracks are appearing and anyone born after 1997 has not idea of life on Prince Edward Island without that 13.9km bridge. I ramble, but these are the things I think about at 49, and having come from Central Canada, to settle in PEI, only to find out they want to be like the rest of the country. It makes me sad.

Love this kind of show. It motivates me to not give up. Stay the course. Keep going. Even though I really want to in some ways say F it. Bring on the debit. I want that new truck I want that tractor I want that vacation I want that new house I want that coffee and dinners out. I don’t give a rip about the damed debit I can afford the payments. Seriously all this homestead crap is just to hard. Yeah every once in a while I just want to go back to sleep. Of course I know better and once you know you know. You can’t unforget. This was a great motivator for me. A shot of energy. Course when I go out and play with the piggies I have to laugh and wonder what high rise apartment would even let me move in with them. LOL. Still have to look at a tractor cuz all this shoveling and doing stuff by hand is getting real old. But then if I can build it by hand then I know I can maintain it by hand. It forces me to keep things very simple. OK rambling Thanks for the motivation & kick in the pants. Plus the reminder of why all of this is so important. TICK TOCK We all know this is coming it is only a matter of time. What will you do with the time that is left?

I really hope so. The one advantage we have over the citizens of Rome circa the 2nd and 1st century is that we have a record of what happened to them.

Jack is absolutely right when he says that China and Russia are no where near the level that the US is currently, and they are facing their own collapse scenarios currently either from demographic decline or the folly of state run economy, and the US will not give up its empire if it can help it. The only reason Great Britain did so was because they were utterly depleted from WWII and they knew that there was no way to compete with the US. Since there is no alternative to the US as global hegemon, and given that the collapse is a global event, I expect that the US will still be the world super power; albiet with reduced capabilities. But then that means little for the average American. The Soviets were a super power and their people were impoverished.

Knowing that I am extremely fearful that we will undergo the same sort of violent upheavels that Rome faced and will come out with strong man imperial style leadership. Benjamins quote about freedom and security is very apt because it also illustrates that men repeatedly give up their freedoms for security. The reigns of the julio-claudians was full of bloody political purges and numerous tyrannies, and by the end of their line the republic was well and truly dead.

But knowing this, and given the tools we have today, perhaps we can avoid the mistakes of our forebearers.

Great show today, one of the best i’ve listened to. I did have a question though about when you said that the rich would instead of “getting theirs” will continue to “get more of yours”. Did you mean that the (uber) rich will continue to game the system through debasement and corruption such that from an economic standpoint their wealth will be enhanced or at the very least untouched? I’m assuming that’s what you meant but just wanted to ask and make sure.

BTW, your TRTAM ebook is great – I highly recommend it to anyone with a desire to learn more about our current monetary system. Thanks and keep up the great work.

My son in law thought we were super rich when he first met us. Because we have land! In his eyes lots and lots of land. With big trees and pastures a creek. Plus we have a house and 2 cars. The clincher we have TWO bathrooms. Plus we don’t have more than one generation in our house sharing expenses. Our large land 5 ac. Our house 1800 sq feet That is not super rich by our standards. It was for his.

He came from the country side in France. Then he lived here with a dr. and a real estate lawyer. They lived in a Mcmansion with a tennis court and in ground pool. He thought we had more money than they did. Took almost a year to get it through to him that we couldn’t just fly to vegas for the weekend because we didn’t have that kind of money. he thought we just didn’t like him.

Where he comes from only the richest of the rich have land. His sponsor family would travel all the time at the drop of the hat. So his thoughts on what was rich really didn’t match up to the reality. He gets it now but it is very hard for him sometimes.

I had no idea that land was incredibly scarce in Europe until I began to study its history in college but once I did it appeared that only the uber rich in Europe have/had any significant land holdings at all – even to this day. By American standards it’s strange that only a select few (e.g. the nobility) would own (or have access to) significant land holdings but that is one of the biggest reasons that immigrants flocked to America to seek their fortune – they could own land regardless of their birthright or particular station in life – not mention the fact that it was cheaper than dirt (no pun intended). Not only that but in Britain only land owners were allowed to vote – hence why the whole “taxation w/o representation” in the new colonies was so complicated. The new land owners (and per British law had a vote) were being taxed without a voice in Parliament.

You mentioned the one thing he got out of “7 Habbits”, the concern/influence distinctions.

I got a different one thing from that book about 20 years ago — the distinction between urgent and important. There are many urgent things that can and should be ignored. Then they go away. It helped with time management.

I was particularly interesting in the Stephen Covey sphere of influence circle and sphere of concern you talked about. My mind is actively engage in both areas but I’m always thinking about the sphere of concern; what’s going to happen to our liberty, how can we take down Monsanto, what’s the price of gold going to do…. on and on. Individually I don’t think there is much we can do about the larger issues but if we do come together our individual spheres of influence could merge and take on a larger sphere, the sphere of concern. Just imagine drawing many spheres of influence inside the sphere of concern.

You mentioned the internet being attacked as it is the best way for us to come together in a common and just cause to address these larger issues. The government would not want that because it threatens the power they have over us. I’m really afraid they may finally get there way, and take away our best defense and that is our ability to communicate information quickly and to a large audience.

TV preppers…major problems! Notice how the ones preparing for a major earthquake are always storing a massive percentage of their supplies in glass jars? Without a system to keep them from falling off the shelves? And even then what will they be doing during the quake? BANGING TOGETHER! Kiss them goodbye if what you are prepping for ever happens! Stupid glass jars in a quake! And don’t get me started on the guys that expect an EMP and then want to drive(!?) to their buy out. duhhh